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    Gastronotherapy » Recipes » Vegan

    Healthy Chocolate Cookies (vegan & gluten free)

    Published: Jan 3, 2025 · by MaryAnne · 10 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Who knew healthy chocolate cookies could taste this good?! These easy cookies are a fudgy chocolate-peanut butter dream, high in protein, low sugar (naturally sweetened with banana), and one bowl. We use 6 simple ingredients that can be found in your pantry, so the next time you get a craving for peanut butter and chocolate, you'll be ready to bake them in just 15 minutes!

    *This is a new & improved cookie recipe. I added dark chocolate chips and adjusted the ratio of ingredients to give the cookies a richer flavor and chewier texture.

    Healthy chocolate cookies arranged on a cooling rack.

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    This low-sugar chocolate cookie recipe is a new favorite of mine. By adding cocoa powder to mashed bananas, peanut butter, and chocolate chips, you get soft and chewy cookies that are subtly sweet, rich, and nutty.

    And because they are naturally sweetened, they are kid-friendly, healthy (vegan & gluten-free), and a great satisfying breakfast, snack, or dessert option.

    They're similar to my banana peanut butter cookies and ready in just 15 minutes!

    Jump to:
    • ⭐️ Why These Healthy Chocolate Cookies are the Best
    • 🍌 Notes on Healthy Cookie Ingredients
    • 🥥 Cookie Variations and Substitutions
    • 🥄 How to Make Healthy Cookies
    • ⏲ Expert Tips
    • 👩🏼‍🍳 How to Freeze Cookie Dough
    • 🍪 More Vegan Cookie Recipes
    • Healthy Chocolate Cookies Recipe

    ⭐️ Why These Healthy Chocolate Cookies are the Best

    • Slightly sweet, salty, chocolatey, nutty, fudgy, and so addictive!
    • Healthy cookies that are low in sugar, flour-less, gluten-free, high in protein, vegan, and low calorie
    • Quick & easy one bowl cookie recipe with just 6 simple ingredients and ready in 15 minutes
    • Freezer-friendly cookies that can be made ahead of time

    🍌 Notes on Healthy Cookie Ingredients

    Healthy cookie ingredients arranged on a table.
    • Bananas - Be sure to use ripe bananas for this recipe. Once they develop spots, they are ripe enough to use. The more they ripen, the sweeter they become, so you can decide how sweet you want your cookies to be. If you have more ripe bananas to use up, try my banana oatmeal pancakes or dairy free smoothie.
    • Natural peanut butter - This recipe calls for all-natural peanut butter that is unsweetened. Using sweetened peanut butter will make your cookies much sweeter and not as healthy.
    • Unsweetened Dutch Process cocoa powder - It gives your cookies a more intense chocolate flavor without any extra calories or sugar.
    • Flaky sea salt (optional) - Adding this is totally optional, but the flaky salt adds a nice crunchy contrast to the sweetened cookies.

    🥥 Cookie Variations and Substitutions

    • Mix-ins. Add ¼ cup of your favorite mix-ins, like dried cranberries, coconut flakes, or chopped nuts.
    • Spice. Add ½ teaspoon of your favorite spice. Cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice would be delicious in these cookies.
    • Old-fashioned oats. Add ½ cup of old-fashioned oats for a heartier and more substantial cookie.
    • For peanut allergies: Substitute almond butter or cashew butter.
    • For sweeter cookies: In general, the riper your bananas are, the sweeter your cookies will be. That said, you can make them even sweeter by adding 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey.
    • Make nut-free: Use sunflower seed butter or tahini in place of the peanut butter.

    🥄 How to Make Healthy Cookies

    *See recipe card below for a printable version.

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place mashed bananas in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add peanut butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and baking soda. Using a rubber spatula, mix until well incorporated.

    Cookie batter mixed together in a glass bowl.

    Stir in dark chocolate chips.

    Using a medium-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop cookie batter onto lined baking sheet. Wet your hands with a little bit of water and press down lightly on the cookies. This will help them spread more. Sprinkle cookies with flaky sea salt (if using).

    Cookie dough scooped onto a baking sheet.

    Bake for 10 minutes. Let cookies cool completely. I like to place my cookies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so they get fudgier before eating them. They can be refrigerated up to 5 days or stored in the freezer.

    Vegan cookies on a baking sheet.

    ⏲ Expert Tips

    • Storage Instructions: Place cookies in an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    • Press cookies before baking. Since we don't use any butter, the cookies don't spread very much. So, be sure to press lightly on the cookies before baking to help them spread.
    • Chill cookies. Although you can eat your cookies shortly after taking them out of the oven, I prefer to eat them after they have chilled in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The cookies develop a thick, fudgy texture that I love!

    👩🏼‍🍳 How to Freeze Cookie Dough

    To freeze cookie dough: Portion cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet using a cookie scoop. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer cookie dough to a large freezer bag, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    You can bake cookies directly from the freezer, but you'll need to add 2-3 minutes to baking time.

    To freeze baked cookies: After your cookies are completely cooled, place your baking sheet in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, allowing cookies to harden. Remove cookies from the freezer and transfer them to a freezer bag.

    Your cookies can be stored in for up to 3 months in the freezer. And because these are soft cookies, they are delicious directly from the freezer!

    🍪 More Vegan Cookie Recipes

    • Stack of vegan pumpkin cookies arranged on parchment paper.
      Easy Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • gluten free peanut butter cookies arranged on a baking sheet.
      6-Ingredient Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies
    • Homemade vegan cookies with oatmeal and raisin on a cooling rack.
      Chewy Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
    • Chewy vegan lemon cookies arranged on a blue plate.
      Vegan Lemon Cookies

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook.

    Subscribe to my email newsletter to get a FREE e-book of 15 Healthy Weeknight Recipes, and get new recipes delivered to your inbox every week!

    Healthy chocolate cookies arranged on a cooling rack.

    Healthy Chocolate Cookies Recipe

    Author: MaryAnne
    Who knew healthy chocolate cookies could taste this delicious?! These easy cookies are a fudgy chocolate-peanut butter dream, high in protein, low sugar (naturally sweetened with banana), and one bowl. We use 6 simple ingredients that can be found in your pantry, so the next time you get a craving for peanut butter and chocolate, you'll be ready to bake them in just 15 minutes!
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 15 cookies
    Calories 126 kcal

    Equipment

    • large baking sheet

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 ripe bananas, mashed using a potato masher or fork
    • ¾ cup all-natural peanut butter (no sugar added)
    • 3 Tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ cup dark chocolate chips (vegan)
    • ½ Tablespoon flaky sea salt (optional)

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Place mashed bananas in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add peanut butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and baking soda. Using a rubber spatula, mix until well incorporated.
    • Stir in dark chocolate chips.
    • Using a medium-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop cookie batter onto lined baking sheet. Wet your hands with a little bit of water and press down lightly on the cookies. This will help them spread more. Sprinkle cookies with flaky sea salt (if using).
    • Bake for 10 minutes. Let cookies cool completely. I like to place my cookies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so they get fudgier before eating them. They can be refrigerated up to 5 days or stored in the freezer.

    Video

    Notes

    • Store your cookies in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    • Chill. Although you can eat the cookies shortly after taking them out of the oven, I prefer to eat them after they have chilled in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. They develop a thick, fudgy texture that I love.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 126kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0.1mgSodium: 99mgPotassium: 183mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 11IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 0.5mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sandhya

      May 23, 2021 at 10:01 am

      5 stars
      Now, this is so delicious. I can indulge in the fudge cookies guilt-free.

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        May 24, 2021 at 1:55 pm

        You definitely can Sandhya!

        Reply
    2. veenaazmanov

      May 23, 2021 at 10:23 am

      5 stars
      Love the combination of Peanut Butter. This Fudge is perfect for all my sweet tooth cravings. I have to make my batch.

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        May 24, 2021 at 1:55 pm

        Yes! Let me know how they turn out!

        Reply
    3. Anjali

      May 23, 2021 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      I love how healthy these cookies are!! We made a huge batch and used them as a "treat" for my kids' school lunches this whole week! They thought they were getting dessert, and I felt good about what I was giving them - win win!

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        May 24, 2021 at 1:56 pm

        Fantastic, Anjali!! It really is a win-win for parents!

        Reply
    4. Biana

      May 23, 2021 at 11:01 am

      5 stars
      These cookies look so yummy! I love that they are made from just a few healthy ingredients.

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        May 24, 2021 at 1:57 pm

        Thanks, Biana! They are almost TOO good!

        Reply
    5. Tara

      April 15, 2024 at 5:00 pm

      5 stars
      I made these cookies on a whim because I had a few ripe bananas to use up and didn't feel like making banana bread. Well, I'm so glad I did, because they're SO delicious!! My daughter even raved about them, and she's pretty hard to please! This is a genius flourless cookie recipe disguised as a healthy snack! Thanks for sharing it!

      Reply
      • MaryAnne

        April 17, 2024 at 3:33 pm

        Thanks so much, Tara! I love the fact that these cookies can be a healthy snack or dessert as well! 😉

        Reply
    5 from 8 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    Hi! I’m MaryAnne, the writer, recipe developer, and photographer behind Gastronotherapy, where I bring vibrant, delicious, and thoughtfully crafted mainly vegetarian and vegan (flexitarian) recipes to life. While my focus leans toward wholesome, nourishing dishes, my love for dessert ensures that indulgence always has a place at the table!

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